Capture the Flag (CTF) is a game mode which features both RED and BLU teams with their own Intelligence briefcase (known as the flag). The goal for both teams is to capture their enemy's Intelligence continuously until they have reached the game's capture limit (default limit is 3) whilst preventing their enemy from achieving the same. If no team completes the capture limit before time runs out, the match will enter Sudden Death mode (unless either Intelligence has been taken and is still in play, in which case Overtime occurs until both teams' Intelligence are secured again).

Contents

Intelligence

The Intelligence, also known as the "intel," "flag," or "briefcase," is the eponymous flag and objective of the Capture the Flag game mode. It is a team-colored briefcase sporting a complicated numbered lock pad on the front and papers protruding out of its joints. Once picked up by an enemy, the case begins to glow in the carrier's team colour and will emit paper particles and a long team-colored trail.

Gameplay

During a Capture the Flag round, each team is given their own Intelligence located within their section of the map. It must be retrieved from this location by the opposite team and returned to a defined point, usually the opposing team's capture zone where their Intelligence is stored.

The Intelligence can be taken by any enemy player that walks up onto it, but can not be interfered or moved by a friendly player. It will then appear on their back and the Announcer will notify both teams that the Intelligence has been taken. The Intelligence indicator located on the HUD will then point in the direction of the carrier who must make their way out of the enemy base and back to their own. Carriers are visible to their respective team players as they emit a green, yellow or red glow (based on their current health) that can be seen through walls.

While carrying the Intelligence, players become more vulnerable. Additionally, certain conditions may result in the player being unable to pick up and carry the Intelligence.

The Medic's stock Medi Gun's ÜberCharge cannot be used on the Intelligence carrier, nor can a player pick up the Intelligence while ÜberCharged and thus invulnerable. (The only exceptions are the charges from the Quick-Fix and the Vaccinator mediguns, which can be activated and work on both the Medic and the patient even if one of them is carrying the Intelligence.)

Scouts are unable to drink Bonk! Atomic Punch while holding the Intelligence, and may not pick it up while under its effects.

Spies are unable to carry the Intelligence while Cloaked, but can pick it up while in disguise, removing their disguise.

The Spy cannot disguise or Cloak while carrying the Intelligence, and will automatically drop it if they do.

The Intelligence is dropped if the carrier is killed or enters a resupply area.

Once the Intelligence is returned to a capture point, the successful team will gain one point shown in the Intelligence indicator, and will receive ten seconds of crit boost. There is no need for the capturing team's own Intelligence to be on their capture point at the time of the capture.

The Intelligence can be dropped manually if the player carrying it presses the drop-item button (Default key: L). Once dropped, a clock-like timer ring will appear over the Intelligence. When the default 60 seconds have passed without an ally picking it up again, it is automatically returned to its original position in the team's base. If an ally picks up and subsequently drops the intelligence, this timer will reset. Teams are required to defend the dropped Intelligence during this period or face losing it.

If the Intelligence carrier be killed by certain environmental hazards that prevent the dropped Intelligence from being touched, like the bottomless pits on Double Cross, it will be forcibly returned to its original position. This functionality is inherent to the map's code and not the intelligence itself, and thus has to be added to the map manually by its creator. While Valveofficial maps all share this for specific bottomless hazards, not all custom maps may utilize this function.

Bugs

Occasionally, the status on the bottom center of the HUD will not change when a player takes or drops the Intelligence.

Rarely some bomb-related responses can be pronounced when player carrying Intelligence is killed.

If a player has the Intelligence and then the map is reset, the next round will have the player who had the Intelligence continue to glow until another player has picked up the intelligence or that player has died.

Notes

The Neutral Intelligence briefcase is a white-colored version of the standard briefcase that appears in the game files. It remains unused by Valve in official maps, however, it was included by them for use by Community developers in custom game modes (such as "Single Flag CTF", FortWars, and "Achievement Servers"). Most recently, Valve employed a version of the neutral Intelligence case as the initial pickup for the new Special Delivery game mode: the intelligence remodeled into an explosive suitcase.

As placeholders during early stages, Valve used modified versions of Team Fortress Classic's flags, which can be still be seen in the game files, featuring the faces of TF2's development team. The face that appears on the red flag is that of Robin Walker, the co-creator of the Team Fortress series, while the blue flag bears Charlie Brown.